?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Feprints.imtlucca.it%2F2371%2F&rft.title=Viral+misinformation%3A+the+role+of+homophily+and+polarization&rft.creator=Anagnostopoulos%2C+Aris&rft.creator=Bessi%2C+Alessandro&rft.creator=Caldarelli%2C+Guido&rft.creator=Del+Vicario%2C+Michela&rft.creator=Petroni%2C+Fabio&rft.creator=Scala%2C+Antonio&rft.creator=Zollo%2C+Fabiana&rft.creator=Quattrociocchi%2C+Walter&rft.subject=H+Social+Sciences+(General)&rft.subject=Z665+Library+Science.+Information+Science&rft.description=The+spreading+of+unsubstantiated+rumors+on+online+social+networks+(OSN)+either+unintentionally+or+intentionally+(e.g.%2C+for+political+reasons+or+even+trolling)+can+have+serious+consequences+such+as+in+the+recent+case+of+rumors+about+Ebola+causing+disruption+to+health-care+workers.+Here+we+show+that+indicators+aimed+at+quantifying+information+consumption+patterns+might+provide+important+insights+about+the+virality+of+false+claims.+In+particular%2C+we+address+the+driving+forces+behind+the+popularity+of+contents+by+analyzing+a+sample+of+1.2M+Facebook+Italian+users+consuming+different+(and+opposite)+types+of+information+(science+and+conspiracy+news).+We+show+that+users'+engagement+across+different+contents+correlates+with+the+number+of+friends+having+similar+consumption+patterns+(homophily)%2C+indicating+the+area+in+the+social+network+where+certain+types+of+contents+are+more+likely+to+spread.+Then%2C+we+test+diffusion+patterns+on+an+external+sample+of+4%2C709+intentional+satirical+false+claims+showing+that+neither+the+presence+of+hubs+(structural+properties)+nor+the+most+active+users+(influencers)+are+prevalent+in+viral+phenomena.+Instead%2C+we+found+out+that+in+an+environment+where+misinformation+is+pervasive%2C+users'+aggregation+around+shared+beliefs+may+make+the+usual+exposure+to+conspiracy+stories+(polarization)+a+determinant+for+the+virality+of+false+information.+&rft.publisher=ArXiv&rft.date=2014-11&rft.type=Working+Paper&rft.type=NonPeerReviewed&rft.identifier=++Anagnostopoulos%2C+Aris+and+Bessi%2C+Alessandro+and+Caldarelli%2C+Guido+and+Del+Vicario%2C+Michela+and+Petroni%2C+Fabio+and+Scala%2C+Antonio+and+Zollo%2C+Fabiana+and+Quattrociocchi%2C+Walter++Viral+misinformation%3A+the+role+of+homophily+and+polarization.++Working+Paper++%23+%2F2014++++ArXiv+++++++(Unpublished)+++&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Farxiv.org%2Fabs%2F1411.2893